The Masks We Wear
by VeneficaMelody
Summary: Usagi and Mamoru are trapped together in the back room of the arcade during a Halloween party. Will they give in to a growing attraction, or bite each others heads off?
1. Default Chapter

**Author's Notes: **Lame title, I know. I couldn't think of anything else at 3:30 in the morning. This was written as a one-hour-challenge for Princess Destiny's one hour challenge list. 

**Title**: The Masks We Wear

**Author**: TsukinoHikage

**E-mail**: TsukinoHikage@AOL.com

**Rating**: PG (may go up; not sure yet)

**Summary**: Usagi and Mamoru are trapped together in the back room of the arcade during a Halloween party. Will they give in to a growing attraction, or bite each others heads off? 

**Couple**: Usagi and Mamoru

**Multi-Part**: Yes

One-Hour Challenge #: Challenge #333: "Would you mind explaining how you just landed in my lap, face-first?

****** 

Men are visual creatures. Creatures who like to see something pleasing to the eye. Men enjoy the fine beauty of an exotic woman with a great body. 

Those are only some of the reasons that men hate Halloween. What man in his right mind, after the age of 14, wouldn't hate to see a usually beautiful woman made up to look like some sort of monster? 

Chiba Mamoru was one of the those men. And today, he was looking at one Tsukino Usagi like she was the spawn of Satan. They were casual acquaintances, at best. They saw each other everyday- usually when Usagi literally bumped into him and a shouting match was started. But today...it was different. 

Mamoru didn't like to admit it- even to himself- but he had a sometimes unhealthy crush on the little golden-haired rabbit. He got a little thrill whenever he saw her, and he delighted in their arguing. It was a way to gain her attention, at least. 

But today, three days from Halloween, was a different story. Motoki was hosting a costume party at the arcade, and Mamoru had been roped into attending. The whole guilt trip of "who took care of you when you broke your leg?" was really wearing thin. 

So Mamoru had dressed up in a pirate's costume that Motoki had dropped off for him. The breeches were a little too snug, and the white shirt had no buttons so it gaped open to reveal his chest. He hated revealing himself in any way, because to him it was a baring of the soul as well. But he HAD owed Motoki a favor, and who knew what else he would come up with to embarrass Mamoru if he didn't go along with the costume idea! 

But, as luck would have it, he had run into Usagi just outside the doors of the arcade. He had gaped at her for a few minutes, before realizing that it was indeed Usagi beneath all the red liquid made to look like blood and the make-up caked near her eye to look like she had quite a shiner. To top it all off- she was dressed in a ripped wedding gown! 

"Odango Atama, what're you supposed to be?" he muttered as he got over his shock. 

She glared at him, not an easy feat underneath all that make-up. "I'm a dead bride!" 

His eyebrows shot up to his hairline. Why would sweet, innocent Usagi dress up like a dead bride? One who had been roughed up, at that! "Why the black eye?" 

She shrugged, lightly touching the make-up. "Legend has it that a bride was killed on her wedding day by a vengeful husband who thought she had been cheating on him with his brother. Turned out that she and the brother had been planning a romantic honeymoon for the two of him, as a surprise because he hadn't had a lot of money. He regretted it after he found out, but the woman was already dead. The legend goes that he lived in misery without love until the day he died." 

Mamoru chuckled. "Boy, I'm surprised you could remember all that. Where'd you hear that, anyways?" 

"For your information, I'm not completely stupid!" she snapped. "Our teacher told us the legend at school for a 'Halloween treat' and I liked it. So I modeled my costume after it." 

"Oh." 

Usagi's eyes were drawn down Mamoru's body, lingering on the bare expanse of chest and the easily-outlined bulge in his tight pants. "So what're you supposed to be?" 

He grinned, displaying a fake gold tooth. "A pirate. Can't you tell?" 

"What, no eye patch?" 

Mamoru smirked. "I drew the line at that. But I liked the gold tooth. Gave me a rakish look. What do you think?" 

She rolled her eyes. "I have a party to go to." 

As the girl brushed past him, he sighed. Usagi's normal beautiful features were hidden behind all that face paint and fake blood. But at least the rips in the dress gave for a few tantalizing glimpses. 'No! Bad Mamoru!' 

Mentally chiding himself, he followed her path into the arcade. It had been decorated with orange and black streamers and a few carved jack-o-lanterns were set up around the room. Music played in the background, a variety of costumed people were standing around talking. Some were holding plastic cups of punch, and others held paper plates of cookies or other snack foods. 

Sighing, he worked his way further into the room, on the look-out for Motoki. He was supposed to be around with Reika somewhere. He had said he would be dressed as a chef, and Reika was supposed to be a bunny. Wending his way through the crowd, he kept his eyes peeled for her. 

*** 

Usagi walked up to the group of four girls who were gathered in a corner talking. She studied them before making her presence known. Rei was dressed as a showgirl; Minako was dressed like Aphrodite- the hearts were a dead give-away-; Ami was disguised as a doctor; and Makoto had come as an Amazon princess. 

"Hey, guys." 

"Where've you been Odango Atama? We've been waiting for half an hour!" 

"Sorry." She shrugged. "Took me a while to get my make-up just right." 

"Woah!" Minako ogled her costume. "That's so creative!" ,p>Usagi laughed. "I got it from the legend Haruna-sensei told us in class the other day." 

She noticed the punch that Makoto was holding. "Ooh, there's punch?" 

"Yeah, and cookies." Ami gestured to the refreshment table. "Motoki said to help ourselves." 

A grin appeared on Usagi's face. "All right! I'm going to go get some." 

The girl moved off through the crowd, and Rei laughed. "That Odango never changes!" 

Grabbing up a paper plate decorated with black cats and jack-o-lanterns, Usagi began piling it with cookies shaped like ghosts and pumpkins. Getting to the punch bowl, she snagged a cup and ladled in some of the red drink. 'Hope it's not spiked!' she thought insanely with a small giggle. 

Turning away from the table, she looked around for her friends. She grimaced when she realized they were no longer standing in the corner she had left them in. Why did they have to take off!? "Usagi!" 

She turned, seeing a giant white bunny coming her way. Blinking, she stepped backwards. "I'm gonna get run over by the Easter Bunny!" She blurted it out before she could think, her eyes wide. 

The rabbit stopped, and a chuckle emanated from it's mouth. "Usagi, it's me!" 

The blonde studied the human face that was peeking out from underneath the ears. "Oh! Reika! Jeez, I'm sorry... I feel stupid now." 

"Don't worry about it." The woman grinned. "Say, could you get some more cups from the storage closet? I sent Motoki to do it, but he disappeared. And I have to DJ the music. The guy we hired called in sick." 

"Cups? Sure." Usagi looked around the crowd. "Err, if I don't get lost." 

"Remember- don't close the door all the way. It locks automatically." 

"Right." 

Making her way to the storage closet, Usagi entered and left the door open an inch after snapping on the light. "Okay! Cups..." She scanned the cardboard boxes, sighing when she saw none of them were labeled. How was she supposed to find the cups among all these boxes? 

Sighing, she went to work searching through the pile of boxes that all looked the same. Where were the cups!? She worked her way toward the back of the room, the sound of the door opening and closing barely registering in her mind. 

"Why did he send me to find the cups?" Mamoru muttered. "I don't care if he does have to host! It's his stupid party." 

A blonde head popped up from behind the boxed, frowning at him. "Mamoru! Why are you here?" she grumbled. 

He started toward the shambled pile of boxes. "Motoki needed me to find cups. Why are YOU here?" 

"Reika asked ME to find the cups." She sighed in resignation, gesturing at the boxes she had already looked through. "Well, we can count those out. Want to help me look? Motoki is REALLY unorganized back here." 

"Tell me about," Mamoru muttered as he moved toward where Usagi was kneeling, peering into another box. "It's like a pig pen back here." His foot caught on a broom handle that was lying haphazardly in the floor, and he hurtled forward face-first. 

Expecting to feel the hard floor slamming into his face, he braced for impact. Instead, he found his nose rooted in something soft, and oddly sweet-smelling. Relaxing, he snuggled into the soft pillow, for a minute forgetting where he was. 

"Would you mind explaining how you just landed in my lap, face-first?" 

He stiffened at Usagi's emotionless voice. Gulping, he sat up quickly. "I-I didn't mean to, I swear! I tripped over the broom. See!" He gestured helplessly at the broom handle that lay innocently in the middle of the floor. 'Wow she smells good!' 

Usagi fought away the flush that was climbing up her face. Mamoru's face just been in her LAP! How embarrassing... So why had it felt so good? Getting to her feet, she held up the package of cups she had found in the box just before Mamoru's, er, intimate encounter. "I found them," she stated as she moved toward the door. 

She stopped, frowning as she turned the doorknob. It wouldn't open... "Oh no!" she wailed. 

"What? What is it?" 

Usagi sighed, turning to him with an exasperated expression. "We're locked in." 

"What!? I can't be locked in here with YOU!" 

Mamoru bounded over the boxes, jiggling the doorknob to no avail. He sighed, banging his forehead against the door. "They can't hear us if we yell... The music's too loud." 

"We're stuck?" she whimpered. 

"Looks that way." 

Chewing on her lip, Usagi watched the older man warily. Her attraction to him wasn't easy to fight when they were arguing. How would she fight it when they were locked in a room together!? 

***** 

Well, how was it? Please review. 


	2. Part Two

Challenge: #311: "Yeah baby! Rock-hard abs and buns of steel!"  
Challenge #104: "I don't know, it tastes kind of funny" 

***** 

Mamoru sighed, leaning back against a cardboard box. Usagi had flopped down in a corner, arms crossed with a cute pout on her lips. If he could overlook the gunk on her face, she was still quite attractive. He rolled his eyes, stopping that train of thought before it got to the station. 'She's your enemy, Chiba!' he reminded himself sternly. 

Still, his eyes roved her body hungrily. 'Why are you acting like a starving man with a buffet laid out in front of you!?' a small voice in the back of his head yelled. 

Usagi glanced at him, seeing a scowl on his face. 'Does he hate me that much?' she thought sadly. 'I didn't know I was such a bother to him...' 

"Mamoru..." she began warily. "How long do you think it'll be before someone finds us?" 

He shrugged. "We've been here half an hour, Odango. Just relax. Eventually someone will realize we're missing." 

She nodded mutely, looking around the room. 'I hope he's right! That outfit is just too revealing!' 

Mamoru levered himself to his feet, and walked to the opposite end of the room, shoving some boxes out of the way. "What're you doing?" 

Usagi sat up curiously, trying to see what he was going after. "There's a mini-fridge back here," he muttered. "I figured I'd see if Motoki left anything in it. I could use a bite to eat." 

"Oh." Her eyes widened as he bent over to open the fridge. She was treated to a delicious view of his backside as the pants molded to his skin. "Yeah, baby! Rock-hard abs and buns of steel!" 

He turned to regard her with a shocked look, and she clapped her hands over her mouth. Her faced turned beet-red and she moaned. "Oh my God! I said that out loud!" 

Mamoru laughed, grinning rakishly. "So that's what you really think of me, Odango!" 

She glared at him. "Don't flatter yourself, jerk. I was just...thinking of a guy I go to school with. Yeah! He-he would be a lot better to be stuck in here with." 

The man frowned, but he hid his annoyance from the girl as he turned to grab two cans of soda and a box of chocolates from the fridge. "Well, since you'd rather be stuck with him..." He shut the refrigerator door and ambled back over to his spot, taking up a relaxing position. "I suppose I won't share this chocolate and soda I found." 

Drool automatically collected in Usagi's mouth at the mention of chocolate. "Mmm, chocolate..." 

She gazed at the box longingly as Mamoru plucked out a piece and popped it in his mouth. Chewing it slowly, he savored the taste. With a lot of "mmm"s, he delighted in the annoyed look the girl gave him. 

"All right!" she burst out after the fifth piece. "It WAS you I was thinking about. Now gimme some chocolate!" 

Usagi dived toward the box, and snagged it easily. Pigging out on the chocolate, she grinned at him cheekily. Chuckling, Mamoru popped the tab on a can of soda and took a sip, studying the girl in front of him. 

It was hard to ignore her womanly form, even if it was encased in a ragged white wedding gown. The rips gave him tantalizing glimpses of skin each time she moved, and he had to remind himself not to get too interested. It was only Odango, after all. And if she knew what she did to him... 

His eyes flew to her face at the disappointed groan. Pink lips pursed in annoyance as she threw down the empty box. "No more chocolate!" 

Mamoru grinned. Same old Odango- always wanting more food. "If you aren't careful, you'll turn into a pig." 

"I am NOT a pig!" she cried in indignation. "So what if I eat a lot? I have a fast metabolism- I never gain weight. And my training keeps me slim!" 

"Training?" 

She blinked, realizing what she had said. "Oh, uhh... Running to school every morning, you know. That's exercise." 

'I almost revealed that I train to be more fit as Sailor Moon!' she thought. 'Oh, I would've been in BIG trouble if he found that out!' 

Mamoru's eyes roamed over her body, and he nodded in appreciation. She was very trim- almost as if she exercised daily. He knew, though, that the lazy klutz he affectionately called Odango wouldn't exercise willingly. So was it possible that the running to school each morning kept her in such good shape? 

He shifted against the box he was leaning against, feeling oddly comfortable with Odango. 'Why did I have to land in her lap!?' he groaned mentally. She would probably never let him live it down. But she had been so comfortable, and so... 

Mamoru frowned, seeing her rummaging through some boxes in the corner, her trim white-clad fanny sticking up in the air. "What are you doing?" 

She responded, but her voice was muffled and he couldn't make out her words. "What?" 

Usagi popped up, holding a black object in her hand. "I found a radio. And some chips." Holding up both, she arranged herself on top of a box. Turning on the radio, she tuned it until she came to a song by Utada Hikaru. 

Mamoru winced, hearing the upbeat tune of "Can You Keep A Secret?" He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Do we have to listen to that?" 

She glared at him, opening the bag of chips. "It's Utada Hikaru! I LOVE this song!" 

Resigning himself to the pop princess' vocals, Mamoru sat back against the box and observed Usagi as she popped a handful of chips in her mouth. As she chewed, a strange look came over her face. "What's wrong, Odango?" 

She sighed, looking down at the chips. "I don't know, it tastes kind of funny." 

Mamoru rolled his eyes. "They, Odango. Not it." 

"Huh?" 

He chuckled. "Your grammar." 

"Oh..." She frowned, then shook her head. "Well, these chips aren't that good." She examined the bag and sweat dropped. "Oh. Ketchup flavor. Ick!" 

The upperclassman laughed, snagging the bag from her. "Motoki must keep them on hand for some of the kids with more...odd tastes. I never figured out why they made KETCHUP flavored chips!" 

"Or pickle..." Usagi's nose wrinkled. "Have you tried those!?" 

"I steer clear from the weird kinds," he said, throwing the bag in the corner. They both glanced at the radio as it began to grow staticy. 

"Aw, no!" Usagi wailed. "I can't be stuck here with him with no background noise!" 

She visibly slumped down as the radio died completely. "Boy, what kind of justice is that?" she growled. 

"Relax, Odango. I'm not THAT bad." 

Leaning against the box, he wished fervently that the face paint wasn't obscuring Usagi's pixie-like features. He had always loved looking at her face. That milky white skin, the sparkling blue eyes... But today, it was covered by at least an inch of make-up to make her look dead! 

Sighing, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back. 'I'm a visual person. What am I supposed to do when beautiful becomes ugly?' he thought in disappointment. 

Usagi looked at him nervously, wondering why he had suddenly leaned back as if depressed about something. 'Is staying here with me that bad?' she wondered sadly. Reaching up, she scrubbed at the face paint. It was starting to itch. Looking around the room, she spied a sink. Snagging up a roll of paper towels that had fallen out of a box during her search, she made her way to the sink. 

Turning on the water, she grimaced to find that there was no hot. 'Oh well.' Scrubbing at her face with the water-soaked paper towels, she washed away the irritating face paint. 

Cracking open one eye, Mamoru looked at her. "What're you doing, Odango?" 

"Washing this off," she muttered. "It's getting itchy!" 

A smile spread over his face. 'Yes! I won't have to see her ugly now.' 

A sigh worked its way through the room from Usagi's lips. "I guess you'd prefer me to keep it on, huh? I mean, I know I'm ugly and everything..." 

He stared at her. "Wh-what? Ugly? Odango, are you kidding!? You're beautiful." 

She glared at him, throwing the used paper towels into a trash can. Drying her face, she ambled back to the box she had claimed as her seat. "No, I'm not. Don't lie to me, Mamoru. I know that I'm ugly; guys don't even like to look at me. Why do you think I came dressed like that?" 

Mamoru's mouth dropped open at her heart-felt words. She really thought she was ugly! "Oda-- Usagi, that's crazy." He got to his feet, walking over until he could kneel at her side. "Who on earth gave you that insane idea? You aren't ugly, Usagi. You're BEAUTIFUL!" 

She laughed mockingly. "What would you know? You love making fun of me, Mamoru. So stop lying like that. It can't hurt any worse than I've already been hurt. I KNOW that I'm not pretty." 

Sitting back, Mamoru was dumbstruck by the feeling in the girl's words. How could she think that she was ugly? Undesirable? Who had put such an idea in her head? He could see tears shimmering in her eyes- eyes that he could now see clearly after the removal of the make-up. 

"No, Usagi." His voice was soft, and his hand came up to caress her face. "You're not ugly." 

The girl looked at him, a nervous look on her face. "Really?" 

"Really." His thumb caressed her face, and he gave in to the urge to kiss her. 

Usagi was startled, but slowly her eyes drifted closed as she savored the taste of him. 'Wait... This is Mamoru!' she thought frantically. 'Why is he kissing me!?' 

Pulling back, Mamoru looked at her warily. Would she slap him now? Usagi gazed at him with a dazed look in her face. "Mamoru..." 

"Sorry. It was a mistake." 

He pulled away from the hand that was clutching his arm, moving back to the opposite corner of the room. He refused to make eye contact with her, and she didn't suppose she could blame him. It probably WAS just a mistake. After all, they were sworn enemies. They wouldn't just get along like that. 

Wrapping her arms around her stomach, Usagi berated herself mentally. 'You fool! Why would you actually think that Mamoru cared? It was just a kiss. A PITY kiss!' She knew that no man would ever think she was beautiful; it just didn't work that way. She was Usagi- Odango- a person that no man would ever want. She couldn't stop trying to fool herself into thinking otherwise. 

Plucking at a rip in the skirt of her dress, she kept her eyes turned away from Mamoru. "Usagi..." The man's voice was rough. "I'm sorry, okay. You're very beautiful, and I... I just couldn't help myself." 

Her eyes flew to his slowly. "You... mean that?" 

"Sure." He was watching her carefully, studying her expression. Was she mad at him? 

She bit her lip, trying to stop the smile that spread over her face. "Will you...sit next to me? It's getting colder." 

He nodded. "I guess the party's over. Motoki and Reika must have thought we took off, and they closed down the arcade." 

Mamoru got to his feet and walked over to her side, sitting down. Wrapping her in his arms, he breathed in the sweet scent of her hair. 'Mmm... I wonder what kind of perfume she uses.' 

"We'll get out by morning," he whispered to reassure her. 

'Why do I feel this way toward Odango? She's my enemy, and I have a crush on her. How am I supposed to do this?' 

Usagi snuggled into his embrace, liking the feel of being in his strong arms. 'I hope Sailor Moon isn't needed before I get out of here,' was her last thought before she drifted to sleep. 


	3. Part 3

Challenge #210: "Dammit, this thing won't die!"  
Challenge #263: "No touching the sword"   
Challenge #297: "Wait a minute. I think I smell something strange."  
"Really? 'Cause I've been smelling something strange since I met you" 

****

Mamoru held the blonde tightly in his arms as she slept. Unconsciously, he ran his fingers through her hair which was slightly matted from the red dye that was to resemble blood. Her 'Dead Bride' costume had been a stroke of genius- one that he admired. Who would have thought that lazy Odango would have turned a legend into a costume? Maybe she had more brains than people gave her credit for. 

He looked down as the girl shifted, blinking her eyes open slowly. Gazing up at him with wide eyes, she seemed startled by their positions. "M-Mamoru... Oh, sorry." She sat up, brushing her hair away from her face. "Guess I fell asleep. How long was I out?" 

"About an hour." 

Mamoru felt the loss of her warmth strongly- on an emotional level as well as physical. He got up and searched for a light switch, finding it and flicking on the overhead light. Settling back down, he removed the prop sword from his waist and laid it on the floor. 

She studied him for a few minutes, a lazy smile spreading over her lips. "You look pretty good as a pirate. Ever think of making it a full-time career?" 

He laughed. "I don't think there's much call for pirates in the middle of Tokyo." 

Usagi shrugged. "Well, it was worth a shot. That gold tooth just shows off something different in your face... Something dashing and confident." 

Mamoru's eyes widened. Was Usagi really complimenting him? Clearing his throat, he adjusted the gaping cotton shirt. "What I wouldn't give for some buttons," he muttered. "Motoki must turn off the heat after he closes." 

She sighed, plucking at the tattered hem of her dress. "When this dress was designed, I didn't think I'd need to worry freezing in the back room of the arcade. Now I wish there weren't so many rips!" 

"To add to the 'dead' theme?" 

"Yep." She stretched, yawning widely. "It's not too useful for warmth, though." 

She glanced at the floor after seeing something moving out of the corner of her eye, her nose curling up. "Eww! A bug." Jumping to her feet, she stomped on the hard-shelled creature repeatedly. "Dammit, this thing won't die!" 

He chuckled and got to his feet, stomping easily on the bug. "You just need to apply more pressure. It's hard-shelled; it's not that easy to squash." 

Sighing, Usagi sank down onto the floor, the tattered skirts billowing out beside her. "I can't STAND bugs!" 

"At least you didn't scream and jump onto a box, like most girls," Mamoru commented. 

She smiled, proud of herself. "Yeah. I didn't, did I?" 

He laughed, enjoying the time he had with the girl. Especially now that her face was visible and not hidden under the gory imagery of a bride killed by her husband-to-be. His eyes were drawn to her breasts pressing against the fabric of her dress. A sixteen year old girl did NOT have the right to have such cleavage. It made it too hard for him to concentrate. 

Swallowing visibly, he concentrated on thinking about school, and not on the beautiful girl in front of him. Anything but how his pants were tightening just thinking about her body. Although concealed from his view, he could still imagine. And that imagining was what was driving him crazy. After having tasted her kiss, he doubted that he would ever be able to get the sweet taste of her from his memory. 

Usagi studied him, enjoying the tantalizing glimpses of chest she got from the gaping shirt. Whoever had designed the shirt WITHOUT buttons was a god in her book! Licking her lips almost unconsciously, she told herself that Mamoru regarded her as only an enemy- or even a little sister- and that she had no chance with him. 

"Mamoru..." she began slowly. "Did you mean what you say before- about me being beautiful?" 

He looked at her, surprise flickering in his eyes. "Of course. You might not be model material or anything... And definitely not a stunning beauty, but you're still pretty." 

She frowned, slightly hurt that she was only 'pretty' and not 'beautiful.' But at least it wasn't 'ugly' that came from his lips. "Thanks," she murmured. 

Mamoru studied her again, forcing himself to keep his eyes from her delectable young body. Just because they were trapped together didn't mean that he had to think of her in that way! 'You've been without a woman for too long, Chiba,' he reprimanded himself. 'Don't think of Odango that way!' 

"So- what made you think up the pirate costume?" 

Making conversation wasn't Usagi's forte, but she had to do something to break the tense silence. "Motoki conned me into it. I wasn't even going to come to the party, but he made me." 

"I'm glad you came." His eyes flew to her face. "I would've been stuck in here alone if you didn't come." 

"No," he grumbled. "If I didn't come, you wouldn't have gotten stuck here in the first place." 

A smile tugged at the edges of her lips. "Okay, you're right. It IS your fault we're stuck in here." 

She crawled over next to him, picking up the sword he had laid down. "Is it real?" 

"No touching the sword," he growled as he grabbed it back. "It's an authentic Japanese katana- not a plaything." 

She chewed her lip. "Sorry; I thought it was a prop for the costume or something." 

He shrugged. "It's okay, I just don't like it being handled. This sword is pretty old." 

Usagi leaned back against the box that was also holding Mamoru up, releasing a sigh. 'I'm stuck in here with a guy who I always argue with. I'm fighting an attraction for said man. How did I get IN this situation in the first place!?' she whined mentally. 

Mamoru glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, snapping his gaze back to the front when he realized that he was looking right down the top of her dress. 'Oh God! How'm I supposed to survive the night!?' 

Groaning, he gave in to temptation and shifted so that he captured her lips with his. So what if she was the girl he argued with everyday? So what if she was younger than him? He couldn't fight the attraction that he felt for her any longer. Those tantalizing glimpses of milky white flesh were just too much to resist. 

His lips and tongue plundered her mouth, and she moaned low in her throat. Who would have thought that Mamoru- her arch enemy- would ravage her mouth in such a way? He broke away, both of them gasping for breath. She arched into the hand that squeezed her breast lightly, saying, "You've certainly gotten one aspect of piracy mastered." 

Mamoru chuckled, raining soft kisses down the column of her throat. "I do, hmm? Glad you approve." 

He slipped the shoulders of her dress down, baring her bra-covered breasts to his view. "Now, this has to go." Slipping off the bra straps and unclasping it in the back, he took a pouting nipple in his mouth and suckled gently. 

Usagi's mind whirled with the sensations he was eliciting, and she moaned in protest as he pulled away, a puzzle expression on his face. "Wait a minute. I think I smell something strange." 

"Really? Cause I've been smelling something strange since I met you." Then she winced, the passion have already died from her face. "Sorry- old habits." 

He got to his feet, walking around the room. Mamoru paused in the middle of the room, groaning. "A gas leak." 

Her eyes widened. "What? Gas!? Th-that's flammable, isn't it?" 

Mamoru nodded, looking at her with a grim expression. "Yeah." He sighed, looking around the room. "With the smell of it, it's pretty strong. We've got to get out of here before it sparks and starts a fire." 

"Oh my... You don't think it would really start a fire, do you?" 

"It's possible." 

Noticing that she was still naked from the waist up, Usagi hurried into her clothes, a blush covering her face. How embarrassing! What had she been about to do with Mamoru!? No, she didn't even want to think about it. 

After she was decently covered, Usagi watched Mamoru prowl around the room. "What're you looking for?" she ventured. 

"A way out," he muttered. "We've GOT to get out of here before that gas finds something to set it off." 

She winced. Could it really end in their deaths? That definitely wasn't something she wanted to think about. Getting to her feet, she took a wary step towards Mamoru. "Anything I can do to help?" 

"Not unless you've got a way to knock down that door," he muttered. 

Usagi sighed, knowing that the only way she would be able to do that was if she transformed. But there was no WAY she could transform and let Mamoru know that she was really Sailor Moon. It would be too dangerous! 

But how else would they get away from the potentially deadly gas leak? If a fire didn't start and kill them, inhaling the fumes would. 

****** 

**Author's Notes**: Okay, I bet a lot of you are thinking I'm making Usagi and Mamoru move too fast, huh? Well, they've had a lot of UST (unresolved sexual tension) bubbling up every time they argued, and it's just sort of...coming out now, that they're trapped together. 


	4. The End

Challenge #39: "You're MINE. And no one and NOTHING is going to come between us"  
Challenge #167: "A kiss is just a kiss. Don't read more into it" 

**** 

Mamoru frowned, realizing that there was no way out of the room except for the door- the locked door. 'How am I supposed to get us out of here? If I transform, Usagi will know I'm Tuxedo Kamen. That that could have all kinds of BAD consequences. But if I don't, she could die...' 

As he battled with himself, he also ignored the chill that his gaping shirt front was allowing in. Why had he allowed Motoki to pick his costume? Running a hand through his hair which was already mussed from repeated motions of the same kind, he groaned in frustration. The smell of gas was getting stronger. 

If he didn't do something quickly, Usagi could die. He glanced at her, seeing the worry within the depths of her eyes. Usagi was a normal girl- she wasn't used to being in life-or-death situations. "Do you see anything we can use to knock the door down with?" 

She blinked, then jumped up to search the room. "A crowbar, a heavy piece of metal, anything," he elaborated as he started on his own search. "We've got to get out of here, Usagi." 

The girl nodded. "I know." 

'If only I could transform into Sailor Moon, I could bust open that door with my tiara. But then Mamoru would know who I really am!' 

She looked down at her costume, seeing the purposely torn and ragged lace. What had started out as a night of fun could end up in death. "It can't end this way!" she muttered, rummaging through a crate. Didn't Motoki keep any tools or anything back here? She would be satisfied with even a long piece of metal- if only to bust the door down. 

It was too bad she had left her Senshi communicator back at the house. Why hadn't she thought to bring it!? Of course, she had had no way of knowing that she would end up trapped in a room with a sinfully handsome man, and a gas leak about to kill them both. How ironic! 

She sighed, looking through the boxes that Mamoru hadn't yet covered. "Find anything?" he called. 

"No." She bit her lip and glanced over at him. "Do you think...we're gonna die here?" 

"I won't let that happen," he growled. "Don't worry, Odango. You WON'T die- not as long as I'm around." 

She smiled. "Thanks, Mamoru." 

'But how can you expect to save me? You're human... Oh, I can't let you die here. Not when I can save you as Sailor Moon.' She looked over at him, her conflicting thoughts showing on her face. 'But if I let him know who I am, there's no telling what might happen.' 

She caught herself on a nearby box as she was overcome by a wave of dizziness and nearly fell. "Usagi?" Mamoru moved closer. "Hey, you okay?" 

She looked at him, nodding slowly. "Yeah... Just a bit dizzy." 

He frowned. "Damn; the gas must be affecting you sooner than me. We've got to get out of here, Usagi." 

Usagi looked at him, smiling faintly. "Hey, don't worry. I'll be okay." She shrugged lightly. "If I die, I die. But you... No, we've got to get you out of here." 

He stalked over to her, grabbing her by the upper arms. "I'm not letting you die! You're MINE, and no one and NOTHING is going to come between us." 

Usagi blinked, a bit startled by his tone and vehement words. 'What is he saying!? This is crazy... How can I be HAPPY about those words?' 

She shrugged flippantly, stating, "A kiss is just a kiss. Don't read more into it." 

He stared at her, his mouth dropping open. "Are you crazy? JUST a kiss? I can't think because of the crush I have on you! And you're trying to tell me that it was JUST A KISS!?" 

Shrinking back from his anger, Usagi regarded him warily. He couldn't hurt her- she was Sailor Moon, after all. But she didn't want to be forced to karate chop him or something. She did care for him, a lot. But allowing his possession of her was like... giving up a piece of herself; the piece of her that was Sailor Moon. If she got involved, she wouldn't be able to continue on as Sailor Moon without revealing that secret. And the world NEEDED Sailor Moon. 

Usagi turned away from him, hiding the tears that were forming in her eyes. "There are things about me that keep me from having a relationship. I DO care about you, Mamoru. You're right- it wasn't just a kiss. But... Sometimes life keeps us from what we want. And my life... It's just not in the right place for me to get involved right now." 

She stepped away from him, walking to the door. "Now- we've got to get out of here." 

"You can't just ignore me!" he yelled, glaring at her. "What is it that keeps you from a relationship? Tell me, Usagi. Is it another man?" 

"No." 

"Then what?" 

He hadn't missed the sadness in her voice. What was she hiding? Sighing, Usagi turned to look at him. "If I tell you... Do you promise not to tell another living soul?" 

Mamoru frowned, but nodded anyway. "Sure. Whatever you say, it doesn't leave this room." 

"All right." Taking a deep breath, Usagi reached for her transformation brooch that she had stored in her sub-space pocket. "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" 

Mouth dropping open, Mamoru stared at her. "You're..." 

She nodded sharply. "We get out of here first- then answers." Grabbing her tiara off her forehead, she aimed at the doorway. "Moon Tiara Magic!" 

The door was blasted to splinters, and she grinned jauntily at Mamoru. "Let's go," she said as she willed her transformation away. He shook his head to clear it, and then followed her through the splintered doorway. Waiting around dumbstruck wasn't going to do any good- there was still a gas leak to take care of. 

Once outside the arcade, Mamoru ran to the 24-hour restaurant next door and used their phone to call the firemen and Motoki- informing them that there was a potentially dangerous gas leak in the Crown Arcade. Stepping out of the restaurant, he looked at Usagi who stood there, still wearing the tattered wedding gown, her hair a mess. 

"Thought you'd be gone by now," he said. 

She shrugged, smiling at him nervously. "I owe you an explanation, huh?" 

Mamoru thought about it for a few minutes before grabbing her by the elbow. "Come on; we should talk." 

The two ended up in an alley- but at least it was reasonably clean. "Look, I know that this must come as a shock to you," she said quickly before he spoke. "But I need to know that you won't tell anyone. If people find out who I am...." 

"It could mean your death, or the deaths of those you care about. I know, Usagi." 

She stilled as he looked at her with a heartrending expression. "I know because... I'm Tuxedo Kamen." Usagi let loose a squeak of surprise when he transformed in front of her. 

"You..." 

He looked at her warily, removing the half-mask that had always before concealed his identity. "Are you mad? I could understand if you hate me now..." 

Usagi shook her head. "Wow." She rubbed in irritation at a few strands of hair, still matted with the "blood." She took in a deep breath. "So... You're Tuxedo Kamen." 

He nodded. "I could have saved you from that gas leak, I know. I just--" 

"Couldn't risk revealing your identity. I couldn't either. But after it got so bad... Someone had to do something." 

Mamoru winced. "I guess you think I was going to let you die?" 

"No..." She smiled at him softly. "You wouldn't have. Tuxedo Kamen could never put me in danger." 

"You're right." He paused, watching her. "So... Where do we go from here?" 

She shrugged. "Maybe... date, see if we can work it out?" 

He chuckled. "You want to be my girlfriend just because of a kiss?" 

Usagi glared at him. "YOU'RE the one who said I was yours!" 

"Okay, okay. You're right." He moved forward and embraced her tightly. "Mine forever..." 

*** 

The arcade was, thankfully, saved before the gas leak got too bad and started a fire. Motoki couldn't understand how the locked door had been blown to splinters- but Usagi and Mamoru blamed it on the firemen with their axes. 

The dead bride found peace, and the pirate lived to sail the seas another day. One Halloween was over... But you never know what other mishaps will fall on All Hallow's Eve... 

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Author's Notes: I hope that it wasn't too bad.... *cringes away from flames* Well, the story is complete. Wow... o.o 

To Reviewers: 

Sitara: I'm glad that you enjoyed it, even if you didn't think you would. ^_^; 

JadesRose: You're right! "Her eyes flew to his slowly" IS a contradiction! *grins* I realized that as I was writing it, but I left it in to see if anybody would comment. 

Cynthia: You like ketchup-flavored chips!? Wow... They seem kinda odd to me. ^^;; And, they do sell them in the US, by the way. 


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